In Your Arms
by Jayne's Moonbrain
Summary: Agent Katherine Bishop has been MIA for a full month. Clint constantly feels sick.


+Avengers prompt-Safe  
Agent Katherine Bishop has been MIA for a full month. Clint constantly feels sick.

It wasn't unusual to go months without talking to a fellow agent. Missions have no exact time limit. In fact, the third line in every debriefing packet ends with three little dots to indicate that any mission could last much longer than anticipated.  
Kate had laughed. How long could it really take to infiltrate a trendy clothing boutiques hierarchy of vapid hangers on and slutty self indulgent 'customer service representatives' (read:sweater folder)? Kate had been gung-ho for the mission too, happy that SHIELD was not only encouraging her to die her hair, they were paying for it.

So, Clint went to the salon with her and she talked him into dying the tips of his hair the same purple she was getting. No harm as he was still only a consultant for SHIELD since active Avenger duty. Kate had looked so awesome with purple streaks and layered locks, she got 4 phone numbers (from creepy hipster guys) on the way home. She tossed them all as soon as they entered SHIELD apartments. They never hung out at Stark Tower. Kate had commented one night that she was Clint's dirty little secret. He argued that Natasha knew where he was and she argued back that there was NOTHING Natasha didn't know. At any rate, they weren't "together" which is what dirty secret implies. Again, Kate argued that they were most certainly together; they just weren't romantically.

Clint supposed spending all your free time (and even some on the clock) with one person did make a relationship. They were friends plus. Clint never brought her to the tower, mainly, because of Stark himself. Clint really didn't want to field questions about his (nearly obscenely) young best friend/mentee who just happened to be a smoking hot archer. Not that he'd noticed. Because he hadn't. She was 22 and very off limits. And Clint wasn't stupid.

So, Kate had left the comforts of home (note sarcasm) to live in a tiny studio apartment in Seattle and work at what she called hipster central. She text him the first day to tell him she got there and then her phone had shut off. And that had been that. Sure, he missed her. But he was an adult who knew she was working. The first time Lucky had whined all night, Clint knew his dog was sympathizing. Tasha tried to step in and spar with him but it wasn't the same. Tasha told Darcy Lewis to take Clint to some bar she frequented and it definitely wasn't the same. Usually, women didn't make contact when he was with Kate. With Darcy, who was constantly getting hit on by men, Clint was obviously fair game.

And it kinda freaked him out! What had made going out with Kate so different? Clint decided not to dwell on it. The other Avengers noticed his moping and discussed it. The conclusion they came to was that Clint had a girlfriend who was on mission. They weren't far off! Clint was a little annoyed that Tasha hadn't done anything to correct him. But they weren't dating. She was his hetero-life mate or some shit like that. Tasha had rolled her eyes and took his battle of SoCo ("really Clint? SoCo?") away and left him to mope.

So Clint decided to try and hang with the guys again. At a pizza and movie night, Tasha had gotten a call around 6pm and left quietly, citing SHIELD business. No one questioned it. But by 9, she hadn't returned. Either she was on an emergency mission or something was up. A little after 10, Banner had gotten a call and left immediately, citing SHIELD business. Something was definitely up! Clint clicked his phone open and opened his camera app. 3 pictures from the end was him and Kate, purple hair shining in the sun. He sighed. "Really man? Girlfriend stuff again?" Tony probed.

"Yes! If you feel like sharing, the team and I would adore to converse about your female paramour." Clint rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I don't have a female paramour, Thor." Thor nodded his head. "In my realm, a man bedding another man is most acceptable!" Tony choked on his sip of scotch. Steve was bright red. And Barnes was laughing his ass off. Clint squared his shoulders. "Okay, look..."he started but Jarvis cut him off. "Sir, agent Romanov is calling your personal line. Shall I put her on speaker?" Tony muttered a sure.

"Stark, suit up and bring Barton to bay 4 at SHIELD." Was all she said before the line went dead. You did not ignore an order from the Black Widow. Clint put on his combat clothes and left maybe a minute after the call. It was a short (and brisk) fly to SHIELD. Bay 4 occupied a single quinjet with personnel crowding around. They landed and Hill ushered them over. "Extraction team located an agent MIA for over a month. Agent is non responsive and dangerous." Her authoritative tone was not one to be questioned but Clint was genuinely confused. "So why are we here?"he asked. Hill stopped walking suddenly and turned to him. "Agent Romanov requested you be brought specifically, agent Barton."

That didn't actually answer the question but Clint followed anyway. The gang plank of the jet was open and down. Agent Jefferies was unconscious at the door of the jet. Banner and Romanov were just inside, weapons down and hands up. And someone was yelling. Stark (face plate up) shot him a look. This looked bad! "I have agent Barton!"Hill yelled into the plane's cockpit. Someone yelled "bullshit"and he stepped toward Banner and Natasha. Agent Carson was bruised and being held hostage by a gun to her temple. The gun holder was muttering about visions and hallucinations.

"Not real, not real..."she mumbled. A medical team was stationed at the foot of the plane, ready to incapacitate but with Carson contained, they had a poor chance of keeping her safe with a rogue SHIELD agent. Natasha turned to Clint and motioned him further in. Clint came forward, Stark right behind him and stopped short. "Kate..."he whispered in horror.

Agent Kate Bishop was nearly unrecognizable. Her hair was dirty and hung limply. Her left arm hung at an unnatural angle and her face was covered in scratches and bruises. She had marks on both wrists from restraints. But the most unsettling thing was her eyes. They were dead. Kate had bright hazel eyes that were so alive. "Stand down code 4-12-KB-7" "Shut the fuck up!"she screamed, cutting Natasha off. "Keep your fucking mouth shut."she said dangerously, gun pointing briefly at Natasha.

Clint stalked forward. "Bishop, drop the gun."he said softly. She laughed. She actually laughed. "That is a nice try! Life like too. Almost believed it." Clint was floored. She thought he was what? A delusion? "Barton has never called me Bishop. Ever! But really, excellent work. The bulging veins in the arms are a NICE touch!"she said. There it was. Whatever they'd done to her, they'd used him to do it. Clint squared his shoulders and put his hands up in surrender.

"Katey-Kate, please let agent Carson go!"he said softly. The hand holding the gun stiffened and she began to shake. "No, no, no! Not real, not real!"she yelled. He had to keep trying. "The purple hair dye took a whole bottle of shampoo to get out!"he said in a panic. Agent Carson looked weak and faint. He had to move fast. Kate's face had paled unnaturally. "You wear purple because you think it's the only color you look good in!" The hand holding the gun was now shaking.

Natasha and Bruce were walking backwards down the gang plank now, eliminating themselves as threats. "You call Fury Dread Pirate Roberts and want to ask him about his peg leg!" He said with a smile. The arm around Carson's throat dropped totally and Carson surged forward away from Kate. She turned the gun to Clint. Her eyes were wide and spooked. Clint swallowed hard. "I've felt empty every second you were gone. And I don't know how I fucked this up and didn't realize but I'm totally nuts about you Kate.."he said softly, trailing off as she dropped to the floor, gun skidding away as dry heaves racked her body.

Clint immediately kicked the gun down the ramp and wrapped himself around her. She had stopped heaving but was shaking violently. Her skin felt cold to the touch and she was still unnaturally pale. Clint heard a comm click just a few feet away and waved them off. Something tapped against his fingers and he looked down. A loaded needle had been rolled to him. The lead doctor was nodding at Clint and pointing to his neck. Clint gripped the needle in one hand and kissed her head. "Babe, I'm so sorry!" was the only warning he gave before injecting her neck and watching her crumble a second later.

Medical came aboard and loaded her on to a stretcher. Barton calmly walked down the ramp and dropped to the ground, bile spewing. Tasha rubbed his back as Banner barked orders to medical. He felt metal against his back and turned to see Tony pulling him back. "Come on B. You did great man!" He said quiet and reassuring. Clint hadn't noticed he was crying until he was in a waiting room of medical, Tasha wiping his face gently with a tissue. Better than anyone, Natasha knew what if felt like to be lost in your own mind after being tortured. And even before the doctor came out detailing her injuries, they all knew she'd been held captive.

The doctor told them to go home because she wouldn't wake for a day but Clint couldn't. Banner and Stark left, probably to fill everyone else in, but Natasha stayed with him. She brought him dinner from the caf, even though he had no appetite. The penne vodka was dry and flavorless and he threw it up a few minutes later. And then, 2 hours after she entered medical, Kate Bishop flatlined. Clint stood frozen at the observation window as the doctor from earlier and Banner used a machine to shock her heart back to rhythm.

It took 4 tries. When her heart rate was steady, Banner cut her open. He yelled something and more people were running in with bags of blood and there was a lot of noise. And then all Clint heard was buzzing. He sank to the floor and put his hands together. He hasn't prayed in years but he couldn't think of a better reason than Katie. Tasha was all of a sudden, pulling him up and pointing. Banner was yelling something. Clint shook his head at Natasha, he couldn't hear it. Natasha got right in his face and mouthed OK.

Clint turned to watch the surgery again. Now it was only Banner and a nurse and Kate's heart rate was steady. He cried when her fingers twitched. Natasha pulled him away as they sewed her up and sent her to recovery. They walked back to the waiting room in silence. The rest of the team was gathered and stood as he and Natasha entered. Clint turned to Natasha to say something because he couldn't. Clint sunk into a chair as Natasha explained what had happened. Apparently, he'd fallen asleep because Banner was shaking him and motioning Clint to follow.

Kate's room was dark and quiet. Machines beeped and buzzed quietly around the little bed containing Kate. She looked more like herself now. Hair pulled away from her face, cuts cleaned, arm in a sling. He sat in the chair beside her bed and laced his fingers with hers. The hum of machines and her quiet breathing lulled him back to sleep.

For a split second, Clint was disoriented when he woke. And then the previous nights events slammed him and he choked on his breath. The clock on the far wall said 5:20 in the morning. Beside him, Kate muttered "cold" and shifted. Half asleep, Clint curled himself around her in bed and passed back out.

"Should he really be doing that? Isn't she like really injured?"an annoying voice chirped and woke Clint from a peaceful sleep. "Punctured lung from a rib fracture. But her vitals have improved tremendously."Bruce said. Clint sighed. "Why are you here?"he whined and cracked an eye. Bruce, Darcy, and Steve were standing around. "To check on you, moron." Darcy blurted. Kate snorted a laugh. Clint pulled himself out of her bed and she whined. "Come on hotshot, we were snuggling!"she said with a scratchy throat. He rolled his eyes and handed her a glass of water at her bedside.

"Hi! I'm Darcy Lewis! And you're Kate! Loved you with purple hair!"Darcy said in a rush. Kate smiled. "Thanks! It's still there, somewhere!"she made a vague gesture to her hair pulled into a bun. "And I'm Steve."he said quietly. "We've actually met before..."he said awkwardly. Kate nodded. "I remember. We talked about mushy vegetables." Steve struggled before he cracked a smile. Kate could do that to ya! Clint thought with a smirk.

"And I'm Bruce...Banner". Kate scrunched her nose. "Sorry about that whole trying to kill ya thing. Kind of an off day for me!"Kate said. Clint held his head in his hands. Sometimes, she was TOO much. "I like her!"Darcy muttered while bouncing on her heels. "Ok, that's enough! Out! Everyone out!"Clint muttered darkly. They turned to him in shock but complied anyway.

"The actual fuck Barton?" Kate said confused. His head was swimming. "What do you remember?"he asked seriously. She sighed and sat back. "All of it, I guess. Can we just not talk about it?"she asked timidly. Clint clenched his fists. "No! Kate. I need to know. What happened?!"  
She shifted in the bed. "Which part?"she asked quietly. "The part where I had no clue where I was or when you told me you loved me?"she said sarcastically. Clint clenched his teeth. "How about the part where you thought Romanov and I were delusions!"

Kate looked stricken. "I was tortured. Thought I was losing it. It's not that complicated. Now, you! You are the complicated part of all of this!"she was avoiding the topic but he let her. When she wanted to talk, she would. He shrugged his shoulders. "No biggie." She narrowed her eyes. "Do you love me or not?"she said through clenched teeth. Clint sighed. "Yes, Katherine Bishop, I'm in love with you." She smiled instantly and he was relieved. "K. Love you too hotshot!" She replied cutely. He rolled his eyes. She was such a kid sometimes.

She was released three days later and immediately came to Stark tower. When he got back from the mission he was on; Kate, Darcy, Jane, Barnes (broken ribs), and Pepper were in the penthouse sunken-in couches watching Jackass. "Ah, quality entertainment!"Tony said, hopping over the couch to drop beside Pepper. "Watch it TinMan!"Bucky said, rubbing his ribs gingerly. Tony rolled his eyes. "Having fun with the girls James?"Natasha asked cooly.

Steve laughed loudly and gestured to Bucky's feet which were painted. Purple. Clint hugged his sides as he sunk to the floor, laughing. Barnes pouted. "She has wicked ways!"he said, pointing to Kate. Kate blinked her eyes innocently. "I didn't do anything!"she said with a sweet smile. Clint snorted from the floor. "I believe you Barnes. I had purple hair!" There was an awkward silence before everyone started laughing. "Good mission?"Pepper asked Tony. "Eh, baddies went down. Hulk smashed. Same old!"

Darcy rolled her eyes. "Bruce save your life again?"she asked. Tony narrowed his eyes and held his fingers a quarter inch apart to indicate a little bit. Natasha sat on the back of the couch behind Kate and pulled her wet hair out of its bun.  
Kate had called Natasha from the hospital the first night after having a flashback and wanted all on her hair cut off. Tasha had talked her down and just trimmed it. She wove Kate's hair into a braid slowly.

Barnes pouted jealously. Kate and Natasha had been nearly inseparable the last few days. Natasha and Bucky both knew what it was like to be brainwashed the way Kate had. She had a hard time talking to Clint about it but he was happy she was talking to someone. Kate and Bucky had even talked one night and Kate ended up breaking down. She told Bucky about watching Cassie die, being raped when she was 15, hating Clint when they first met. Bucky told her about his winter soldier initiation, about raping a little girl. They had cried together.

Clint was just a tad jealous. He and Kate hadn't really talked since the first day in the hospital. She was recovering and a little skittish. Clint looked over and noticed her eyes dropping. She liked to joke that since her surgery (and the drugs that followed), she just couldn't hang anymore. Clint walked to her and held out his hand. She smiled sheepishly and took it. "Saw that, huh?"she asked. He nodded and pulled her off the couch carefully.

"Night guys. Gonna go pass out now!" Kate said happily. She followed Clint to the elevator and when the doors closed, leaned against him. She didn't like the group to know just how much everything took out of her. "Aww, killer. I got ya!"he said with a smug smile. "Id hit you if I wasn't so damn tired, hotshot!" She said, eyes closing as she leaned against him. When the doors opened, he scooped her up and she idly protested with a noise. He walked through his suite, nudged open his doors, and put her on his bed. He went to leave the bedroom. "Nuh uh! Slow your roll!"she said suddenly. Clint turned toward her with an eye brow raised.

"We gotta talk first!"she insisted. He came forward and sat on the bed next to her. "So talk!"he insisted. She rolled her eyes. "Ugh, never mind!" She laid down and rolled with her back to him. "Ooh testy!"he said an poked her belly. She turned to him with a glare. "You said you wanted to talk."he grumbled. She sighed. "What are we doing?"she asked softly.  
Ooh, THAT talk. Clint rubbed his hand through his hair. "I don't really know." He answered. She huffed a little and crossed her arms. "Okay. Lets try again. What do you want to be doing?"she hinted.

He smile widely. "Sleeping!" Her face dropped and her eyes flooded with tears. Clint felt himself crumble. "Hey, I was just being funny! I'm a guy, we're customarily bad at this!" He reminded her. Her chin wobbled a little and she let out a shaky breath. "Maybe we should just stay friends."  
In shock, Clint propped himself up on an elbow facing her. "I mean, we were fine before. And now, I feel so stupid around you!"she continued. It would be easier, he thought suddenly. She wasn't the all or nothing kind so it's not like he'd lose her.

Truth be told, he'd wondered far longer than he cared to admit what it would be like to kiss her. It guilted him before but now was just a pleasant warm ache in him. Where they were now, it was bound to happen soon and up until she said something, he'd been happy about that. She was staring at him oddly. "Did you hear a thing I just said?"she asked with a slight smile. "Nope. Was thinking bout kissing you actually. Was totally distracted!"he answered with a wide grin. She grinned back. "That so?"

He nodded eagerly. "Yep!" "Hmm. That does sound distracting!" She said leaning toward him. "You have no idea."he whispered before sealing his lips over hers. He could feel her soft lips brushing his and sighed. They'd waited too long. She pulled back lightly. "Still distracted?"she whispered and he kissed her hard, nodding. He nudged her flat on her back and he kissed her thoroughly, loving her hands wrapping around his neck and pulling him closer. He kept his balance with the one elbow, keeping pressure off her middle as their mouths mapped each others.

He pulled back and she chased him, making a sound of protest when he shook his head. "Not yet. You're hurt!"he insisted. She huffed and dropped her head to the pillow. "Not that hurt..."she grumbled. Clint laughed. "Okay girly-girl, time for bed." He said lightly as he rolled from the bed. She shook her head. "Stay with me."  
And he did.


End file.
